Turnabout Date
by SilverDawn2010
Summary: "Oh Nick…" Maya giggled a little. "If you're gonna ask me out… then just do it."


Turnabout Date

He'd come face to face with cold-blooded killers, having to question them and make them break down their façade of innocence.

He'd seen his boss and mentor lose her life.

He'd had his good friend from elementary school disappear without a trace.

He'd been caught numerous times staring defeat in the face, in hopeless situation after hopeless situation… and yet, somehow, coming out victorious.

Phoenix Wright had lived all of this in his 25 years, most of it during his first two years as a defense lawyer. Law school certainly hadn't prepared him for these crazed events that seemed to happen to him every few weeks or so.

But all of that he'd lived through in the past few years… was nothing compared to the stress he'd just gone through in the past two days. His best friend, Maya Fey, had been kidnapped… and the ransom was an acquittal of a guilty man. It had been an impossible choice… and every hour for 48 hours, he lived on the edge, wondering if Maya was okay… if Engarde was really guilty… if the police would find Maya in time (and still alive)… if the evidence would ever arrive… if he was doing the right thing by trying to let a killer go free. During all of this, he could hardly think of anything but Maya and her safety… and a way to get Engarde out of this mess, along with himself. It had been a ragged two days…. the stress and drama was never ending. Every moment was filled with anxiety and tension… and a serious lack of sleep. Phoenix had worried himself sick over Maya… and had faced certain defeat at least a half dozen times in the fateful last hour…

And then, the miracle had occurred… and Maya was returned to him safe and sound. Words couldn't describe the relief he'd felt when she was finally right in front of him, with that cheeky (and oh-so-cute) smile on her face… and he'd pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, never wanting to let her go. Phoenix had felt like crying in joy at that point… but couldn't… not with Edgeworth there, of course. But still… it felt so right for her to hug him back as she rested her head on his chest… and for him to gently caress her long hair, trying to let it sink in she was finally in his arms again. She was finally safe… and he could breathe again.

That night, after the huge party, and when everything was finally figured out… he still lied awake in his bed, his mind racing. It was the third night in a row he hadn't been able to get any sleep… But this time, something else was bothering him and eating at him. It wasn't stress over life and death situations, but instead… it was more of something he would have to face… his own feelings.

Phoenix knew that he cared about Maya… as a good friend, in an almost sisterly way, he'd assumed. They'd been through a lot together since he'd gotten her out of jail and she decided to tag along with him as his co-council. She'd sat next to him in court, cheering him on, and cheering him up when things looked bad. It was Maya who was his closest friend… and the one he knew he could trust. There was no doubt he had at least a soft spot for her.

But had he really developed romantic feelings?

_No… there's no proof of that…._ He told himself. _Evidence is everything._

_But my heart isn't a courtroom… I know how helpless I felt for a while there, when I felt like I failed and she really was gone… she really was dead…. I just… I couldn't take it. I felt the whole world spinning around me… and like my life was really over. I'd failed to save her, I'd failed to protect her… I didn't know how much Maya really meant to me… until I thought I'd lost her._

_Well… even if I do like her… a little… maybe… then how do I know if she likes me? Do I have proof of that? _

_She probably doesn't… I mean, she knows more than anyone that I'm not as good of a lawyer as everyone thinks I am… all I do is bluff and hope to get lucky sometimes. Why would she like a guy like me?_

_Because you're handsome and smart, that's why!_

_Oh, gimme a break… even if that's true… she's shown no signs of liking me. Ever. And she's not the most mature person in the world… she's probably not ready to have a boyfriend. I don't even know if she's allowed to have one, with her being a spirit medium… and she probably has a crush on one of those actors she's always gushing over, anyway… _

And with that, Phoenix rolled over and went back to sleep, convincing himself that even if he did have feelings for Maya, it was just relief at having her back, and she wouldn't like him anyway.

He woke up the next morning, showered, gelled up his hair, and drove to the office. He wasn't quite ready to take another case yet… but went more or less to see Maya. Surely, the girl would freak out if he didn't show up to work today… and probably come bang on his door at home.

The lawyer chuckled to himself and unlocked the door, entering his office to find it… quiet. Deadly quiet, almost. His mind flashed back to the last time he'd entered this office to find it deadly quiet… but he shrugged the memory off and walked back to his desk.

"Maya?"

Nothing… he was here alone today, it seemed. Not that it was unusual… Maya didn't show up to the office everyday… she did have her "real job" as a spirit medium as well… so it wasn't that common for him to be here alone, waiting for the phone to ring, and pretending to read all the law books on the shelf if a potential client happened to walk in.

But what was this feeling called? Disappointment?

It was no big deal, Phoenix told himself. He'd just been hoping to talk to Maya today, have them share a few laughs… and have things get back to normal. It sounded selfish, but he hadn't quite had her to himself since she'd come back. He was hoping to get at least some time with her… alone… since she'd come back, but no such luck.

Oddly enough, as the day dragged on… he found himself missing her. As in, really missing her. He tried to do some research on what had been happening in the legal world since the whirlwind of the past few days… but he found his mind kept going back to the cute girl with the long raven hair… and those dark brown eyes… her bubbly, random, upbeat personality… the way she sometimes gripped his hand in court and smiled softly… the way she fit so perfectly into his arms yesterday…

It was no use. He'd fallen for Maya. There was no escaping it anymore.

Phoenix gave off a slight groan and hit his head against the desk. How did this happen? It must have been a slow thing… he hadn't realized that he liked her up until now… up until he couldn't be sure that she was safe.

_The question now is…. What are you gonna do about it? _

Well… the obvious answer would be to tell her. And yet, at the thought of that, Phoenix's heart gave a jump and he immediately began sweating.

_I can't do that… I just can't… she doesn't like me… there's no way… I don't want to lose her friendship and have things get super awkward if she doesn't like me… I can't lose her again over unreturned feelings. _

_I just… can't do this. I'll have to hide my feelings until I can get… more evidence that she likes me. I can't move forward until I gather more evidence here. _

Yes… that was it… he'd have to talk with her, beat around the bush… and discern whether she had feelings for him or not. Like a cross-examination of sorts. He would be able to determine whether Maya liked him or not by doing that, right? Why, with his skills, it should be a snap. The only thing he had to do was reserve a time and place for them to talk… and surely the girl couldn't refuse burgers with him, right?

On that impulse, Phoenix reached for the phone next to him and pushed in the numbers stored inside his heart.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Maya…"

"NICK! Hi! What's up? Oh, no, don't tell me… you've found us a new case? Already?" She seemed genuinely happy to hear from him.

Phoenix had to chuckle a little to himself. "No, and even if I did, I'd turn it down. I think we both deserve a break after how the last case was."

"I know… you're getting too old to be doing this, right?"

"Hey!" he protested, but had to smile. Her teasing him was something he'd missed.

Maya giggled on the other end. "So… what's up, then?"

"… I just… well…" he found himself stumbling over his words, his mentally made speech all sounding too horrible at this point.

_Ah well… I'm much better at just bluffing things and going in unprepared, working with the moment…_

"I just… wanted to talk to you about something… and we should probably meet up; I don't think we should do this over the phone. So… what are you doing this evening?"

A safe question, right?

"Well… I'm here at Kurain Village with Pearly right now. We're having a TV marathon with the Steel Samurai, Pink Princess, and Nickel Samurai shows."

"Ah… okay…" So she was busy brainwashing poor Pearls with popular culture. It couldn't be tonight then…

"Why, what's up, Nick? You seem kinda… weird."

"Weird? Me… no… I'm.. f-fine. Just… well… are you busy on Friday….?"

He gulped, not believing he'd actually asked that. He'd actually spat that out. He'd actually…

Maya blinked. "Um… no… I'm not. Not unless we get another case to solve. And I plan on staying out of trouble until then… so it'll have to be someone else sticking their foot in their mouth this time."

Normally Phoenix would have cracked a joke (at least in his head) but he was too nervous to even do that.

"Well… I…. just… had to talk to you about something. Wanted to ask you something…"

"Oh Nick…" Maya giggled a little, and Phoenix pictured her cute face on the other end.

"If you're gonna ask me out… then just do it."

He blushed so fiercely that he was sure that the heat was transferring through the phone. How had she done that? "Um… I… was… I…. just…I didn't mean… how did you …."

He took a deep breath, though he was horribly embarrassed.

"Oh Nick… you are so…. " she trailed off. "- Hold on Pearly, I'll tell you in a minute - ….So… what time Friday?"

"Um… 6 pm?"

"Where? Or… will you… _pick me up_?"

Was that the sound of a suppressed squeal?

"Yeah, I'll pick you up… but… it's um, not really a… date, Maya."

"…Oh."

With that word, Phoenix instantly felt two things… his heart soar that she felt disappointed (meaning she did like him, right?), and bad because he'd disappointed her. Really, he was just gonna talk with her and try and see if she liked him… but should he have just gone for it and officially asked her out?

"But um, it can – "

"No, it's okay, Nick. We can hang out on Friday… I guess I'll see you then."

Yep, she was definitely disappointed. Phoenix heard Pearl's high-pitched voice in the background, but couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Yeah… see you then… Maya. Bye."

"Bye…."

Click.

"Mystic Maya! Did… Did Mr. Nick ask you out? Oh, I KNEW he was your special someone!"

Pearl Fey smiled wide and placed a hand on either of her cheeks, obviously happy. But Maya… didn't quite share the 8-year-old's enthusiasm. She was so sure that Nick had asked her out this time… and it really was about time. Had he not seen all the times she had looked at him that way? All the glances she'd sneaked of him in court? All the times she'd playfully teased him? All the times she'd held his hand…?

No, he was smart and observant… there was no way he hadn't noticed them… so it could only mean that he didn't like her after all.

Ouch.

Maya knew that she liked Nick for a long time. In fact, the feelings had started as soon as he'd gotten her acquitted when they'd first met. He'd saved her life then… with his amazing (and unique) defense skills. He wasn't your typical arrogant lawyer… he told her before that he'd just wanted to be one to save innocent people. He didn't lie and forge evidence… in fact, he usually found himself in hopeless situations, fighting against an oppressive system… all because he believed in his client and refused to give up, no matter what.

And Maya believed in him, too… so many times she found herself looking at him in awe… amazed he'd found the contradiction… again and again he'd make the witness break down and confess… he was simply amazing. And she knew… that he would always protect her and save her, no matter what she was going through.

She'd thought… with this phone call… that he'd finally stepped up the plate and asked her out… It had seemed like it, how he had been all flustered… Phoenix got nervous way too easily, it was cute… but…. He had firmly said it wasn't a date. So what was it he had to talk to her about this time? And why lead her on like that?

_Oh well…_ she sighed a little. _At least I get to spend some time with him… and it doesn't mean that I can't still flirt with him a little… maybe… all he needs is a little push. Maybe he meant to ask me out… _

"Mystic Maya?" Pearl asked her older cousin in confusion, breaking Maya out of her trance. "What's wrong? Mr. Nick did ask you out, right?"

Maya looked down at Pearl, sighing a little. Pearl had a big imagination, always trying to put her and Phoenix together… always making comments about them being a couple… and always embarrassing her. Every time Pearl made a comment, Maya had carefully, hopefully watched Phoenix, to see his reaction. He always did the same thing – blush profusely and deny it. The former gave her hope… but the latter made her doubt.

"Pearly… let's just go back to the Pink Princess, okay?"

"Okay! I really like this show, Mystic Maya!"

The older girl turned her head back to the TV, but her mind was still on a certain spiky-haired lawyer.

_What can I do to get him to like me…? _

…~…

Friday night, 5:54 pm

Phoenix's Apartment

_Be cool, Phoenix, it's not like this is your first date or anything. I mean, it's not even an actual __**date**__, you made that clear to her. You have no reason to be nervous, it's just Maya, anyway… and it's not like this is any more nerve wracking than sitting in court, or talking to Shelley de Killer, or waiting for Gumshoe to finally get back… it's just a meeting with your best friend that you might possibly have feelings for, and who might possibly like you. Stop acting like a teenager… it's just Maya, just seeing if she likes you, if not… … no big deal, right? _

Nope. While Phoenix was feeling a bit nervous, or perhaps a bit excited, he couldn't tell, he was also feeling rather cool.

Now that he'd thought about this whole "is-it-a-date-or-not" thing, he felt like he'd made a huge mistake in court – but this time, the consequences were more than just a penalty. They were more personal. He felt like he'd let Maya down a little by not being honest with her, and felt the need to make things right… so that's why his nerves were making an appearance. However, thanks to something he'd… discovered since they'd last talked, Phoenix had an ace up his sleeve…. He had some "decisive evidence." Now he just had to find the right time to use it during their talk this evening.

He pulled into the apartment complex where Maya was staying. It was where her and Mia used to live, but now she had the place to herself. As he parked the car and headed to her door, he wondered a little if she would be wearing her typical medium garb, of if she would dress up a little. As for himself, Phoenix knew Maya was used to seeing him in a suit, and since this was just having dinner with her, he'd dressed more casually in a blue button down shirt and nice jeans.

He didn't even have to knock on the door as Maya opened it as he approached, as if she'd been peeking out the curtains, eager for him to arrive.

"Hi, Nick…"

He offered his date – _friend_ – a smile and couldn't help but take a glance at her outfit. She had worn something different – a tighter dress that came down to the knee. Purple really was her color… Phoenix found himself smiling more as he inconspicuously checked her out.

"You look nice."

"Thanks…" Maya smiled to herself as she felt his eyes on her. She remembered going shopping with Pearl to buy this dress, while the little girl gushed the whole time about her and Nick being a true couple now… and she didn't have the heart to explain to Pearl that she wasn't really his girlfriend. But oh well, Maya was totally planning to flirt with him tonight, and make him wish that she _was_ his date.

The two got in Phoenix's car and headed toward downtown. They made small talk on the way in, and Maya couldn't help but wonder what plans he had, exactly. This wasn't near their usual burger joint, and Phoenix was being a little quiet, as if lost in thought. Maybe this was just wishful thinking on her part, but had he really wanted to ask her on a date in the first place? The girl had questioned that in her head all week, replaying their phone conversation from a few days ago, trying to figure out what Phoenix had in mind with this whole thing. She figured she'd have to wait and see.

Finally, the two came to their destination… a rather nice restaurant in the heart of the city.

"Wow…." Maya breathed as she eyed the lavish decorations on the outside.

"Well, you didn't think I was just gonna give you _burgers_, did you?"

She blinked, getting over her mild shock. "Hmmm… looks like you _did_ have money after that big party yesterday."

Maya gave him that look that made his knees weak, and Phoenix felt the cold sweat droplets form on his neck. Oh man, he could hardly look at her now…

"Why are you acting so nervous, Nick…. " she gave him that irresistible smile as they walked inside and waited to be seated. "It's not like this is a _date_ or anything…"

"No…. nope, not a date… at all… totally not my intention with this whole thing."

Maya just shrugged, and Phoenix felt his frustration grow. _Can't you take a hint for once, Maya? I'm trying to tell you that it WAS meant to be a date…! Ugh, girls!_

_Just calm down…. You've got this one, remember?_

Phoenix took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders as they sat down and looked over the menu. "Besides…. Even if it were a date… this wouldn't be my first one."

Maya tilted her head in curiosity. "Oh?"

_She's jealous… she's jealous… I can see it…_

She shook her head. "I can't really see you with a girlfriend. With the reputation lawyers have, who would want to date one? And also, the hair. Most girls like to run their hands through their guy's hair… and the gel makes that hard."

_Is that what she thinks_…? He found himself blushing again as he noticed her eyes on his trademark hairdo. "You don't know what you're talking about, the spikes are a real turn on!… but yeah… I was a real hunk in college. I actually was dating this beautiful chick…" _She's jealous, she's jealous…_ "And… oddly enough, that's how I met your sister."

Maya visibly slumped at this mention. "Mia?"

"Yeah… that's kinda a long story, though."

Maya was suddenly almost standing up. "You were dating Mia? What! Why did she not tell me this?"

"No, no, I never dated her. Ever. Trust me, Maya. She was my boss anyway, that's kinda… weird. It was another girl, she killed someone, and framed me for it…and Mia was my lawyer at the time… that's what happened."

Maya nodded slowly, in thought, then turned back into herself with her smile. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Nick."

"Oh, right, and _you've_ had lots of boyfriends."_ I'm so not probing for information here…_

"Well… there's not that many guys in Kurain Village….so, not really."

Before Phoenix could answer, the waiter came back and took their order. Maya, of course, got excited when she saw that gourmet burgers WERE on the menu... and Phoenix settled for some grilled chicken. A bit of an awkward silence followed as he said he'd be back shortly to serve the "happy couple."

"So….you know, I did drag you out here for a reason, Maya," Phoenix began, looking her in the eye.

"Not just to give me gourmet burgers?"

"No… I actually really do need to talk to you about something."

The look in her eyes grew curious. Phoenix settled back in his seat and cleared his throat.

"Maya…. I've done a lot of thinking… these past few days have been crazy and stressful, with everything that's happened, but they made me come to grips with what I believe, and who I am… I had to decide what being a lawyer really meant to me. I knew Engarde was guilty in a way, and yet my task as his lawyer was to defend him. And not only that…. But doing my job and getting him an acquittal was the only way to save you. I struggled with myself, wondering if I could let a killer go free or not… it really made me question a lot of things. But I think I came out of it with a better understanding of what I believe… and what my real job is as a lawyer."

All this time, Maya had been uncharacteristically quiet and listening to him. She seemed to sense the serious weight of what he was saying.

"I can thank Edgeworth for helping me realize some things, of course… but I can also think of one other person I need to thank."

_Pause for dramatic effect…_

"You."

Maya's eyes got big. "Me? … Nick…" She looked down, as if ashamed. "All I did was get kidnapped… and I'm not very useful to you even when I am here. The only way I can help is when I channel Mia… the real me just isn't useful at all…."

"That's not true – you've helped me in so many different ways in the past."

"Yeah. As sis. Never as myself…" She continued to look down.

"Maya…" he tilted his head. "Do you really doubt that you're important to me?"

She didn't answer, but Phoenix's eyes widened in surprise at what happened instead.

A half dozen chains appeared in place, as if holding Maya hostage. Two locks sat next to her face on either side, one above her head, and one right on top of her heart. But… what? He must have brought the Magatama with him; it'd become a habit since murders could happen at any time, and he never wanted to question a witness unprepared. However, he'd told himself long ago that he'd never use it for personal things, only when he needed it for a case. Phoenix shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

The locks disappeared, but he knew that they were still there. Maya was keeping a secret from him… her heart was locked to him. But why? What was she afraid of? Why not just tell him? It wasn't like Maya to not just blurt out her thoughts and feelings; the girl couldn't keep a secret to save her life.

And why were the Psyche-locks only appearing now? Because it had never really come up, he supposed. After how long they'd known each other, they'd never quite discussed their true feelings.

_Well… I think it's time we finally had this chat, he realized. _

"Maya…" He leaned forward across the table, his arms folded beneath him. "You're not useless to me. You really do help me with my cases…"

"As I said… as Mia. I'm just a tagalong, aren't I?"

"While it's true that no one is ever going to mistake you for a lawyer…that's okay. And sometimes I really do need Mia's help, and you're the main way that I can contact her with…. BUT you do help me in other ways." He paused to gather his thoughts. "You give me the energy and will to keep going… you're nice to have around. You keep the moment light, and you help me never forget my true purpose of being a lawyer." He gave her a smile. "And even if you didn't do all this… I'd still care about you."

She looked up at him with tearstained eyes "Really?"

"Yeah, see… I realized this… when you were kidnapped. I felt like my world had ended when I knew you were gone. I felt like I had to do everything I could…. To get you back here, with me. To make sure that you were safe and sound. Maya…"

The girl felt her heart warm… she'd never heard Phoenix talk in such a tender tone of voice before. "Maya, you help me not by doing anything… but by being yourself. And I don't want you to forget that."

"And… I…"

Well, this was it. The moment of truth. If he didn't say it now, he would lose his nerve. _Time to be a man, Phoenix…_

"I've come to realize something else after everything that happened. I realized, that with you gone…. that I… have feelings for you."

Silence. It was as if the whole restaurant had disappeared, and it was just him and Maya sitting there, their dark eyes meeting… Phoenix heartfelt, Maya in disbelief.

"…Nick…. You…" A smile suddenly took over her face. "You… mean you… like me?"

He nodded and felt his face get warm. "Yeah… of course, I've been too hard-headed to realize it until just now… how much you really do mean to me."

"Nick…" her smile was as big as he'd ever seen it. "I…. I've liked you since the day we met… and you promised to defend me and prove me innocent. Ever since that day, you've protected me and saved me, and I secretly liked you… I just… never thought you actually…liked me, too." The girl was glowing.

Phoenix smiled and just took a second to enjoy the moment and study Maya's cute face. She looked so happy with her eyes so big, and her smile so warm… he felt a sudden urge to just take her in his arms and hold her and plant his lips on hers. His own heart felt relieved that it had been so easy… (and without even using his ace)… and there was another, warmer, lighter feeling in his heart. Phoenix had thought he'd been in love a few times, with a few ex-girlfriends… but this time, it was something more than the shallow and immature things he'd felt before. It was a close friendship blossoming into love… it was the result of spending time with this girl for many years, and realizing that she held a special place in his heart as he defended her time after time. It was the result of coming close to death many times, of going through so many trials with her… and yet he felt that there was still a lot to come for them. As if they were just getting started… as a true couple.

He couldn't stop the smile that was growing on his face… or the urge to say something dumb, apparently. "Yeah, well… I kinda knew you liked me…"

"WHAT! NICK!" Maya made a face at him, but deep down, she should have known he'd had it figured out. "You idiot! Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I wouldn't have had to wonder for so long, and keep beating myself up!"

"Because… well… I… I… only figured it out… a few days ago….?" He smiled sheepishly.

She raised an eyebrow, as she found it hard to be truly mad at him right now."…. …. Really?"

"Yeah, I was kinda waiting until I could find proof that you liked me, see? I've gone into court unprepared too many times, but I try to have at least some evidence that I can rely on. And in this case… well, it was important to me, personally. I didn't want to come and make a fool of myself, in front of you… confess my feelings and have you say you didn't like me. I was just going to rely on what I could glean from what you said… but I finally got some solid evidence."

"Evidence?"

"Actually… it happened right after I hung up from our call…"

(Flashback)

Phoenix set his cell phone down and leaned back in his seat.

Dammit. He'd messed up. By trying to be tactful, he'd just sidestepped everything and had let her down. But oh well, maybe he could make it up to her somehow, on this date…

"Wright."

He jumped at least a foot from the surprise, hitting his knees on the bottom of his desk.

"Ow!" Phoenix turned his eyes up to meet them up with his surprise visitor after rubbing his sore joints. "Jeez, can't you knock like everyone else, Edgeworth?"

"I did knock, and I thought I heard you respond. But I didn't realize you were on the phone. I'm sorry to disturb you." The prosecutor gave a small smile as he entered, as if he knew what the phone conversation had been about.

"No, it's okay… ouch… anyway, why are you here?"

"I have something for you." Edgeworth walked closer to Phoenix, his hand in his coat pocket. "I managed to catch Franziska before she left back for Germany."

"Oh, yeah… did you give her the whip back?"

"Yes…" he looked away thoughtfully for a moment. "I think she still has a lot to learn. But regardless, she was the one who recovered that evidence for us."

"Yeah…. That was crazy… the whole thing. I'm just glad it's over."

"Wright… do you remember what Gumshoe said, at dinner last night? About the fourth piece of evidence?"

"Yeah… did you get it back?" Phoenix asked, trying to fake enthusiasm. He'd rather just bury the whole thing… and his mind was on Maya…

"Franziska had it wrapped in Gumshoe's coat. And… I think you may be interested in what it is."

Edgeworth removed his hand and placed a small, flat object on Phoenix's desk right in front of him.

"What? This is…" he blinked and stared at the object, it finally dawning on him.

"The picture Maya drew." Edgeworth's amused smile grew. "I could have turned this into the police, but I figured… it'd be more useful to you."

(End Flashback)

Smiling a little, Phoenix reached inside his own pocket to pull out his ace…. A small card, with a picture of a shell… and another drawing on top of it: his face. He'd come to realize that only Maya's quirky mind could liken his head to a shell… but it was still flattering. And sweet, really.

Maya's eyes got huge in recognition. "Nick…! This is… my picture!"

"Yeah… and somehow, it all got back to me."

Maya looked away for a moment as she relived the memories that sprung up from that card. "Nick… I was scared… I was so scared when I was being held captive. I felt like I really could've died… even if de Killer promised he'd leave me alone… he told me, that as long as you won in court… then I wouldn't be harmed. So…. All I knew to do was to trust you… that you'd save me."

Phoenix reached across the table to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I did everything I could to save you, Maya."

"I know… even though I knew Engarde was guilty, that he'd hired de Killer, I trusted you… that you'd find a way to save me after all. And while I was locked in that wine cellar… there was only one thing I could think of… and that was you, Nick…. It was in that cellar that I realized… that you were the only one I trusted to do the right thing. And so… in those long hours, as I couldn't stop thinking of you…. I drew this… a picture of you."

She matched his own warm smile and squeezed his hand back.

He was sure if he used the Magatama now, all of the locks would be broken… and Maya's heart would be completely open to him. Wow, she really did like him…. Wow….

"So… Maya, if you really have liked me this whole time… I have one question."

"Okay…?" She asked, knowing it was just like Phoenix to find some sort of contradiction.

"All those…celebrities. The Steel Samurai. Maximillian Galactica. You seemed to have crushes on them the whole time…."

She giggled. "Those actors…? Oh please. Those were meant to make you jealous, Nick… I didn't really like any of them."

"Hmmmm… trying to make me jealous. I see. How very mature of you."

"Oh right… and that wasn't what you were trying to do earlier today, huh?"

"Hey, wait! That was… totally different!"

"I know you better than that, Nick…" she smiled confidently… and oh-so-cutely. "Just like I know…." her cheeky smile got even bigger. "You really DID mean to ask me out on a date, right?"

"Um, well, I… it's complicated… not really… I did, but then, I didn't… "

"Oh, Nick…You don't have to say it…" she leaned in closer, and he was captivated by her face and eyes. "You can just kiss me instead."

And without hesitation, Phoenix Wright stood up, and slid into her side of the booth. Maya was a bit surprised, but there was no way she was about to resist what he was about to do. Phoenix leaned closer to her face and closed his eyes, while putting one hand gently on her cheek. Maya felt her breath catch… and then her lips were covered in warmth. He was… he was… kissing her. His lips were smooth and gentle as they caressed her own pair… she found it impossible to pull away from how captivated she felt. After waiting for this moment for so long…. Maya simply had to kiss him back, a little more strongly…. She pushed her lips against his as her hand traveled up his neck to play with his hair (which she actually LOVED to death, despite her teasing). Phoenix's own hand went down from her face to her waist, pulling her closer to himself, protecting her. And there, in his arms, she felt so safe, so secure, so warm… and finally, so loved.

Phoenix was all she had left in the world, with her sister and mother gone… and now, he really was all hers.

As the couple broke from the kiss, they held a very tender gaze and smiled as if in a daze.

"And, for the record…" Phoenix got even closer and whispered in her ear, "…I love you, Maya."

She smiled and hugged him closer to her, resting her head on his chest. "I love you, too, Nick…"

...~...

Author's Notes:

**Ah... it's finally done. It's hard to believe that I started writing this after playing Justice for All (the second game, and the game that this story is set after), and now, I'm almost done with the last case in the third game, Trials and Tribulations. There's references to all three games, of course, but mostly to the last case in Justice for All. **

**Anyway, I wasn't really a huge fan of Phoenix X Maya during the first game, but they really grew on me, especially during the kidnapping case. And being the romantic fangirl that I am, I figured I should write something in tribute to this couple. I doubt I'll write anything else, unless I get some good ideas, but this was fun while it lasted. Besides, I'm almost done with the series now; I'll be playing the Apollo Justice game next.**

**As for the story itself... well, it came out both better and worse than I had hoped, but overall I'm kinda pleased with it. I hoped everyone liked it, and please let me know what you think!**


End file.
